From Football to Cycling and Skiing.. Turkey's Plan to Expand Sports Tourism

SadaNews - Sports tourism in Turkey is no longer limited to winter football camps on the beaches of Antalya. Ankara is currently taking steps to redraw the map of this sector through an expansion plan that includes a wide spectrum of sports, from cycling and skiing to golf and multi-sport events, in an attempt to transform the country into a year-round global sports destination rather than one tied to traditional seasonal rhythms.

Turkey is banking on this transformation through a rare mix of modern infrastructure and geographical diversity. From closed cycling tracks in Konya to snow slopes in Erzurum, and extending to golf courses along the Mediterranean coast, a new vision emerges that sees sports as a gateway to enhance tourism presence and deepen economic returns beyond the summer and beaches.

The 12 Sports Plan

The Turkish Sports Tourism Association has launched an unprecedented initiative aimed at redefining the contours of tourism in the country by incorporating 12 sports into a national program to expand this promising sector.

From the usual football pitches to cycling and skiing arenas, passing through golf, swimming, tennis, basketball, and volleyball, Turkey opens a wide gate to attract athletes, amateurs, and tourists from various backgrounds, attempting to shape a new identity for the country as a multi-season and multi-experience sports platform.

This step has been described by the association as a "structural transformation", based on the conviction that relying solely on football is no longer sufficient in a world that is moving towards diversifying sports interests and tourist destinations.

Nida Kiraz, the head of the association, said in press statements that the goal is for Turkey to become the land of championships and elite camps in various sports, emphasizing that the strategy does not only target summer seasons but aims to fill the dormant seasons with constant sports and tourism activity.

This transformation is supported by numbers; while sports tourism contributes about 10% of total tourism activity globally, its share in Turkey is still limited to only 1.5%.

Kiraz believes that reaching the global average requires a genuine partnership between the public and private sectors, involving investments in infrastructure, enhancing external promotion, and attracting international events and championships.

If this ambition is realized, sports tourism will become one of the pillars of the Turkish tourism economy, generating hard currency, creating thousands of jobs, and giving Turkey a new status on the global tourism map that is not only associated with summer resorts but also with facilities and venues open year-round.

Antalya.. The Capital of Winter Camps

Antalya is carving out a new position for itself on the global sports map. While snow freezes pitches in Eastern and Central Europe, Antalya is filled with friendly matches and training sessions, turning it into the largest winter workshop for sports clubs in the region.

Each winter, the southwestern province of Turkey welcomes more than 1500 local and international teams that hold closed camps during the seasonal break, with sports delegations from around 20 countries.

The months of December and January, which were previously classified as a "dead season" for tourism, have turned into a noisy football peak, filling the stadiums, hotels, and airports.

Experts attribute this transformation to factors such as climate, ease of access, and infrastructure. Unlike other destinations, Antalya does not require long flight times and receives flights from Europe and Asia daily.

On the ground, it is dotted with top-notch training pitches and five-star resorts with comprehensive services, making it an attractive choice for clubs seeking high quality at moderate costs.

This influx has not gone without a tangible economic impact. According to the Sports Tourism Association, winter football camps last year generated around 100 million euros (approximately 108 million dollars) in revenue, and it is expected to exceed 150 million euros (approximately 162 million dollars) this season.

In a remarkable development this year, major clubs returned to Antalya after a hiatus. The Ukrainian team Shakhtar Donetsk, despite the war conditions, chose Antalya as its training camp, alongside prominent teams such as Borussia Mönchengladbach from Germany and Red Bull Salzburg from Austria, among other clubs from Eastern Europe and the Balkans.

A National Map

It’s not just Antalya that is reaping the fruits of the sports awakening in Turkey; the expansion map stretches across the country, with each region investing its geographical, climatic, and sports uniqueness to become an active destination within a national project that redraws the contours of tourism.

In the far northeast, Erzurum shines as a winter star par excellence, hosting the Palandöken peaks with modern ski resorts and icy channels that have attracted regional and international championships, making the city a magnet for snow enthusiasts from within and outside Turkey. The same scene is repeated in Kayseri with Mount Erciyes and in Bursa at Uludağ.

In the heart of Anatolia, Konya stands out with the opening of the first indoor cycling track (Velodrome) in Turkey, equipped to host world championships, attracting national teams and clubs looking for high-quality indoor training facilities.

Meanwhile, Samsun on the Black Sea coast has enhanced its position as a center for multi-Olympic sports, thanks to its infrastructure developed through hosting major events such as the Islamic Solidarity Games.

Moving to Central Turkey, Cappadocia adds a different touch to the sports scene, where the charm of geological formations transforms into a natural track for mountain running. The annual "Salomon Ultra Trail" race attracts thousands of runners from over 75 countries, turning valleys and heights into a cultural sports festival that activates hotels and facilities throughout the autumn season.

The shores of Muğla on the Mediterranean and Aegean seas also open up to a parallel marine sports scene, featuring sailing and rowing camps and sailing boat races that attract teams from various countries, especially in the cities of Bodrum, Marmaris, and Fethiye.

Reviving the Dead Seasons

Sports tourism also represents a tool for redistributing tourist movement throughout the year, specifically to revive what were once described as "dead seasons." For example, cycling is witnessing global prosperity, and Turkey sees it as an opportunity to fill the void after winter and before summer.

Antalya alone is preparing for three major events in 2026, including an international tour and races for amateurs, while Konya has become a main stop for teams looking for high-level indoor facilities.

As for golf, it has turned into a winter jewel in Belek, Antalya, where courses are packed with European players fleeing the frost of their countries to the warmth of the Mediterranean.

Winter has also been redefined in Turkey thanks to skiing, as the ski resorts spread across various provinces are no longer mere playgrounds for snow enthusiasts, but are now hosting international and local competitions in speed skating, alpine skiing, and ice marathons, which enhances hotel occupancy, transportation, and services during the cold season.

Source: Al Jazeera